Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Senna
A tribute to the legendary driver with symbolic colours, branding and allusions to the world of F1.
TAG Heuer and Senna Brand team up to celebrate Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna with a limited edition chronograph and tourbillon. As the watch brand most closely associated with motorsports, TAG Heuer’s partnership with Senna began in 1988 and continued until his tragic death in 1994 at the San Marino Grand Prix. On the 30th anniversary of his passing, and in light of the upcoming Netflix series Senna, TAG Heuer introduces the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Senna, based on the recent Carrera Extreme collection and decked out with symbolic colours and allusions to the world of F1.
Recognised today as one of the fastest and most fearless drivers in motor racing, Senna’s rise to fame from his early days in Brazil to become one of F1’s greatest drivers will be portrayed in the six-episode Netflix series premiering on 29 November 2024. The series will also feature heritage watches produced by TAG Heuer for Senna, a fascinating window into the changing style of chronographs over the decades. When Senna moved to McLaren in the late 1980s, he became brand ambassador for TAG’s S/EL (sports/elegance) line of watches with analogue and digital technology and donned the flamboyant S/EL S25.706C.
During Senna’s lifetime and posthumously in association with the Senna Foundation, TAG Heuer produced five limited edition watches. Following a pause of more than a decade, in 2015, the partnership was back on track with the Carrera Calibre 16. Fruit of that partnership is the latest Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon. While there have been openworked chronograph tourbillon releases in the past, the latest reference is closer in spirit to the new Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport collection.
The special Senna edition incorporates Brazilian flag colours and symbols of Senna’s racing career and branding. The watch comes in a 44mm grade 2 titanium case with a thickness of 15.1mm. Distinguished by its bold, faceted lugs, hollowed case flanks and speed lines between the polished titanium chronograph pushers and crown, a bright green lacquered ring surrounds the crown.
Decorated with vertically brushed and sandblasted finishes, the 100m water-resistant case hosts a forged carbon tachymetre scale with a fixed bezel with ‘SENNA’ and the ‘S’ logo in yellow. Referencing the lightweight carbon fibre used in F1 cars, the tachymetre scale is calibrated to 400km/h, a nod to the high speeds at which Senna liked to push his racing cars.
The openworked bridges on the dial have grained black interiors, suggesting the asphalt surface of a racetrack. Beneath the bridges, the silver chequered pattern on the plate evokes the flag used to mark the end of a race. The two chronograph counters with snailed blue rings display a yellow lacquered ‘S’ in the 12-hour totaliser and an openworked steering wheel in the 30-minute counter. Elapsed times are indicated by lacquered yellow openworked hands, matching the central seconds hand. Completing the tri-compax layout, the tourbillon regulator is at 6 o’clock.
The flange suspended over the dial has a green peripheral track followed by a blue one with faceted and applied indices and a 60-second/minute scale. The only trace of luminescence can be found on the central hour and minute hands. The sapphire crystal on the caseback reveals an iconic image of Senna with his helmet. Powered by the calibre TH20-09, this automatic column-wheel chronograph with a tourbillon regulator operates at 28,800vph and provides 65 hours of autonomy.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Senna comes with an integrated blue rubber strap and a titanium folding clasp with double safety push-buttons and a micro-adjustment system. It is a limited edition of 500 pieces and will be available in November 2024, retailing for CHF 37,000. For more details, please visit www.tagheuer.com.
